there were many loved ones lost during hurricane sandy. there were many children lost in connecticut. when a loved one is no longer around the dining room table when there are gifts that were bought that were not able to be given, it's a very sad time for our country. and what i am urging my colleagues to remember is what that loss feels like in their own states. we've seen so many tragedies this last year. we've seen so many disasters over the last several years. and as senator mikulski has said and senator schumer has said, this country always stands together in these times of disaster and grave need. whether it was hurricane katrina, we stood by that state that region immediately within ten days we delivered $60 billion of aid and relief to the families in need. we did the same thing for florida. hurricane andrew left devastation in its wake. we did the same thing when tornadoes hit joplin, missouri, and tuscaloosa, alabama. we stand by families in times of need. it's the job of the federal government to keep our families and communitie